Deuterium (D or 2H) is a stable, non-radioactive isotope of hydrogen. Deuterium-enriched organic compounds such as a deuterated ethanol are known. U.S. Pat. No. 8,658,236 describes an alcoholic beverage of water and ethanol, wherein at least 5 mole percent of the ethanol is a deuterated ethanol. This alcoholic beverage is believed to diminish the negative side effects associated with the consumption of ethanol.
The production of a deuterated-ethanol containing alcoholic beverage requires the preparation of a deuterated ethanol in an efficient, safe, and cost-effective manner. A known process for the preparation of a deuterated alcohol (e.g., deuterated ethanol) involves an H/D exchange reaction between a non-deuterated alcohol and D2O. Depending on the process, the resulting deuterated alcohol may comprise deuterium in different positions. Examples of such processes can be found in Chemistry Letters 34, No. 2 (2005), p. 192-193 “Ruthenium catalyzed deuterium labelling of α-carbon in primary alcohol and primary/secondary amine in D2O”; Adv. Synth. Catal. 2008, 350, p. 2215-2218 “A method for the regioselective deuteration of alcohols”; Org. Lett. 2015, 17, p. 4794-4797 “Ruthenium Catalyzed Selective α- and α,β-Deuteration of Alcohols Using D2O” and Catalysis Communications 84 (2016) p. 67-70 “Efficient deuterium labelling of alcohols in deuterated water catalyzed by ruthenium pincer complexes”.
Other routes to produce a deuterated alcohol involve several consecutive reactions requiring expensive and/or hazardous material. For each of these transformations, purification and isolation of the intermediates are necessary.
In view of the above, it is desirable to be able to synthesize deuterated ethanol in an efficient, safe and cost-effective manner. It is further desirable to synthesize deuterated ethanol with deuteration substantially only at a desired position(s).